Dinnigan to begin again, ethically

Collette Dinnigan has become the first high fashion designer to become voluntarily accredited to the Homeworkers Code of Practice (HCP).
National campaign group Fair Wear - which administers the HCP - claimed it was "thrilled" at the Sydney-based designer's decision.
Fair Wear Victoria campaign co-ordinator Daisy Gardener described Dinnigan as "a shining example to the rest of the industry to become accredited and proof that it is possible to be both successful and ethical".
A number of designers had become accredited as a result of prosecutions for breaching the code - created in 1997 to protect textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) outworkers from exploitation -Gardener claimed.
However Collette Dinnigan "is the only example among high fashion designers to cross the line of her own accord and without external pressure", she said.
Gardener said it was vital for other designers to become HCP accredited, adding that high-profile designers Lisa Ho and Akira Isogawa had been in discussions with Fair Wear for some time.
"The HCP plays a key role in our mission of creating an industry where ethical employers are rewarded," she said, adding that Dinnigan's HCP accreditation was particularly significant at a time when the future of workers' rights hung in the balance.
"Both the HCP and the federal clothing award are at risk of being undermined by the federal government's industrial relations (IR) reforms."
Last month [August] Fair Wear Victoria sent a delegation to federal minister for employment and workplace relations Kevin Andrews to voice its concern over the outcome of IR reform.
"We are seeking assurances that vulnerable workers will retain their protection at a state and federal level," Gardener said, adding Minister Andrews had "not given any concrete concessions". She admitted Andrews had shown willingness to discuss the need for protection in upcoming legislation.